It wasn’t a dirty hit by the NHL’s standards. If anything, it was a well-timed collision that produced a bone-rattling effect for Dallas Stars forward Jason Dickinson. Regardless of how you look at it, though, one thing is clear: it’s probably one of the biggest hits you’ll end up seeing in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But when Nashville Predators forward Brian Boyle dug his shoulder into Dickinson’s chest with 10:42 left in the first period, it served as more than just a “welcome to the playoffs” for the young Stars forward.
It was more than just a physical effort on the Nashville power play that forced a turnover.